Early Life and Times of Boone County, Indiana, published May 1877, republished 1974

BENJAMIN BOOHER. The subject of this sketch is a German by lineage, but an American by birth,
education and life. His grandparents came from Germany to this country in the latter part of the seventeenth
century, and settled first in the western part of Pennsylvania, and afterward in Virginia. Their son Jacob, the
father of the subject of this sketch, married Elizabeth Barnet in the early part of the present century, and
settled in Sullivan County, East Tennessee. Jacob Booher was the father of twelve children, of which
Benjamin, the subject of this sketch, is next to the youngest. He is also one of the three surviving children.
Benjamin Booher was born in Sullivan County, East Tennesee September 1,1821, and when he was ttlirteen
years old his father moved, with his family, to Montgomery County Indiana, and settled two miles east of the
present site of Darlington, where many of his descendants yet live, an honored and well-to-do people.
Much credit is due the Booher families for making the country in that immediate vicinity what it now is-
productive beautiful, and possessing all the qualities of a good neighborhood.
Benjamin Booher received his education when there were not such facilities as we now have. The school
building that he attended was an open log cabin without any floor but the earth. The benches were made of
round logs split once, with diverging pins in the ends for supports. The chimney occupied one entire end of
the house. The writing desk was a wide board laid on sloping pins in a log on one side of the cabin. The pens
used in writing were made from the large feathers of geese and buzzards. The teacher and the methods
of teaching were as novel as the house. Such is a brief decription of the school that Mr. Booher attended.
Although his edrcation was limited, yet he so improved it that with the good native talents with which he is
blessed he is fully qualified for the transactions of the ordinary business of life. He is a good reader, and
keeps himself well informed on the various subjects pertaining to the interest of the common citizen. He is a
pioneer, and one of the leading citizens of Boone County.
On the 20th day of October, 1842, Mr. Booher was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Beeler, whose
parents came from East Tennessee to Indiana only a few weeks before Mr. Booher arrived.
Mrs. Booher was born in East Tennessee, January 11, 1823. Her grandparents on her father's side came
from Switzerland; on her mother's side from Ireland. Mrs. Booher's advantages for an education were similar
to those Mr. Booher, for they attended the same school. The result of their marriage is twelve children, in
the following order:
Martha, Margaret E., William J., single and at home; Albert L., departed this life at the age of 4 months;
Benjamin C., married to Miss Martha J. White, November 4, 1870; after her decease he was married to Miss
Clara M. Dooley, November 21, 1886. He resides near Zionsville, Ind. He was elected County
Commissioner in November, 1884. Sylvester C., single, resides in Kansas City. Vando L., married to
Miss Elma O. Schooler, resides in Perry Township, Boone County, Ind. Ada, married to S. N. Cragun,
resides in Lebanon, Ind. Mark A., married to Miss Elma F. Hoggins, resides in Worth Township, Boone
County, Ind. Emma R., single, at home. Daniel W.V., married to Miss L. Elsie Barb, resides one mile east of
Whitestown, Ind. Minnie M., married to Leander W. Tomlinson, resides one mile south of Whitestown, Ind.
Mr. and Mrs. Booher are still living and enjoying good health.
Mr. Booher is one of the early pioneers of this country. He endured the hardships and privations common to
the early settlers of a country. When he and Mrs. Booher started out to battle with the realities of life they
had but little of the necessaries to make life comfortable. Their culinary department was not filled with such
things as we find in a pantry of today. They had one oven, one iron pot, three pewter plates, three knives and
forks, two cups and saucers and a few other things common among the pioneers of this country.
In the year 1845, Mr. Booher moved to where he now resides: one-half mile south of Whitestown, Boonne
County, Ind. This country was then, to a great extent, a wilderness and much of it under water. Mr. Booher
killed wild ducks in a pond where WhiteStown now stands. He purchased ninety acres of land which, at the
time, was covered with a dense forest hitherto unmolested by the woodman's ax. He could see nothing
before him but a life of toil, but with that determination that characterizes the successful man, he entered
upon the arduous task of felling timber,clearing land, rolling logs and cultivating the soil, laboring from early
morn until dewy eve under the disadvantages incident to all the early settlers.
Mr. Booher, by industry, perseverance, economy and good management, accumulated a considerable
amount of wealth He owns several farms, aggregating several hundred acres of productive land. He ranks
with the leading financial men of the county. For his success in this particular he deserves much credit. He
was not a lazy loiterer, who expected a streak of good luck to come to him. He knew that honest endeavor
weaves the web of life, turns the wheel of fortune, amasses wealth and keeps one permanently rich, Mr.
Booher's indomitable will and inflexible purpose, linked with courage to work for an honest living, led to his
financial success. Men who do not go out into the great field of human exertion, but wait for success to
come to them, are the men who, for the most part, are at the bottom of dishonesty and corruption. Lazy men
hate the rich and always have hated them. They never emulate their energy, industry and economy and hence
deserve no help from them, Laziness has cravings for vices which lead to untold misery.
Mr. Booher did, until late years, vote with the Democratic party. His first vote for president was cast for
James K. Polk. He is now in sympathy with the Nationtal party. He became somewhat disgusted at the
management and the political machinery of the two leading parties, and like Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, he refuses to bow to the images they set up, or to dance to their music. He protests against the
despotism of American polities, and claims that at conventions, at the ballot-box and everywhere, without
hindrance and without malediction, men shall vote as they think best, keeping in view the common interest
of the people of the nation. He does his own reading and thinking, and votes and acts accordingly.
As a financier Mr. Booher has but few equals, as is evidenced by his financial success and history. He never
made a mistake in his judgment as to his own financial affairs. His judgment in regard to the finances of our
great nation has not as yet been fully tested. He has a right to his opinion and to the advocacy of it both by
speech and ballot. In another part of this work will be found a portrait of Mr. Booher.